1 John 1:4

1:1-4 That essential Good, that uncreated Excellence, which had been from the beginning, from eternity, as equal with the Father, and which at length appeared in human nature for the salvation of sinners, was the great subject concerning which the apostle wrote to his brethren. The apostles had seen Him while they witnessed his wisdom and holiness, his miracles, and love and mercy, during some years, till they saw him crucified for sinners, and afterwards risen from the dead. They touched him, so as to have full proof of his resurrection. This Divine Person, the Word of life, the Word of God, appeared in human nature, that he might be the Author and Giver of eternal life to mankind, through the redemption of his blood, and the influence of his new-creating Spirit. The apostles declared what they had seen and heard, that believers might share their comforts and everlasting advantages. They had free access to God the Father. They had a happy experience of the truth in their souls, and showed its excellence in their lives. This communion of believers with the Father and the Son, is begun and kept up by the influences of the Holy Spirit.

The benefits Christ bestows, are not like the scanty possessions of the world, causing jealousies in others; but the joy and happiness of communion with God is all-sufficient, so that any number may partake of it; and all who are warranted to say, that truly their fellowship is with the Father, will desire to lead others to partake of the same blessedness.

1 John 1:4 . ἡμεῖς , clearly the editorial plural. The reading ὑμῶν seems at the first glance more attractive than ἡμῶν as evincing a generous solicitude on the part of the Apostle for the highest good of his readers, viz. , the fulfilment of their joy. Rothe: “Wer es weis, dass das uranfängliche Leben erschienen ist und er mit demselben und dadurch mit dem Vater Gemeinschaft haben kann, dessen Herz muss hoch schlagen”. In truth, however, ἡμῶν evinces a still more generous solicitude—the very spirit of Jesus. As He could not be happy in Heaven without us, so the Apostle’s joy was incomplete unless his readers shared it. Cf. Samuel Rutherford:— “Oh! if one soul from Anwoth Meet me at God’s right hand, My heaven will be two heavens In Immanuel’s land.”

Not insipid, spiritless, empty, as carnal joy is, apt through the deficiency of its cause to admit of intermingled qualms; but lively and vigorous, 2Jo 1:12 , well grounded, John 16:24 , such as is of the right kind, and will grow up into the perfect plenitude and fulness of joy, Psalm 16:11 .

These things The whole Epistle. Write we unto you (γράφομεν ὑμῖν) The best texts read ἡμεῖς we, instead of ὑμῖν to you. Both the verb and the pronoun are emphatic. The writer speaks with conscious authority, and his message is to be not only announced (ἀπαγγέλλομεν, 1 John 1:3), but written. We write is emphasized by the absence of the personal object, to you. Your joy (ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν) The best texts read ἡμῶν, our, though either reading gives a good sense. Full (πεπληρωμένη) More correctly, fulfilled. Frequent in John. See John 3:29; John 7:8; John 8:38; John 15:11; 2 John 1:12; Revelation 6:11. "The peace of reconciliation, the blessed consciousness of sonship, the happy growth in holiness, the bright prospect of future completion and glory, - all these are but simple details of that which, in all its length and breadth is embraced by one word, Eternal Life, the real possession of which is the immediate source of our joy. We have joy, Christ's joy, because we are blessed, because we have life itself in Christ" (Dsterdieck, cit. by Alford). And Augustine: "For there is a joy which is not given to the ungodly, but to those who love Thee for thine own sake, whose joy Thou thyself art. And this is the happy life, to rejoice to Thee, of Thee; this is it and there is no other" ("Confessions," x., 22).

1 John 1:4 . Ταῦτα , these things ) From the emphatic singular he comes to the plural, for the sake of greater convenience of expression. These things , and no other: 2 Corinthians 1:13 , much less, smaller and more trifling things, as the defenders of traditions say.— γράφομεν ὑμῖν , we write to you ) To this present the past, I have written , ch. 1 John 5:13 , answers. Comp. ch. 1 John 2:1 ; 1 John 2:12 , and following verses. Writing gives strong confirmation.— ἵνα , that ) Fulness of joy arises from a full and abundant confirmation of soul in faith and love. To this, declaration and writing in conjunction especially tend: 2 John 1:12 .— χαρα , joy ) Thus also John writes in his Gospel, ch. John 15:11 , John 16:22 . There is the joy of faith, the joy of love, the joy of hope. In this place the joy of faith is first noticed; and the expression is abbreviated, your joy ; that is, your faith, and the joy which springs from thence: but there is also intended the joy of love and of hope, flowing from thence.

Verse 4. - While verses 1-3 refer to the Gospel, this refers to the Epistle; but, although ταῦτα in 1 John 2:26 and 1 John 5:13 refer to what precedes , there is no need to limit ταῦτα here to these opening verses; it covers the whole Epistle. The reading ἡμεῖς seems preferable to ὑμῖν , and ἡμῶν to ὑμῶν . But ἡμεῖς and ἡμῶν are not coordinate: ἡμεῖς is the apostolic "we;" ἡμῶν means "your joy as well as mine." This verse takes the place of the usual "grace and peace" in the opening of other Epistles; and as verse 3 recalls John 17:21 , so this recalls John 17:13 . The joy is that of knowing that, though in the world, they are not of it, but are one with one another, and with the Father and with the Son. The gospel is always joy: "Rejoice alway" ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16 ); "Rejoice in the Lord alway" ( Philippians 4:4 ). To know that the Eternal Life has been manifested, that we have communion with him, and through him with the Father, must be joy. Whereas Gnosticism, by denying the atonement, and "the personal office of God in the salvation of the world," cuts off one great sphere of God's love, and consequently one great cause of the believer's joy. To sum up this introduction: St. John gives his Gospel to the Church ἀπαγγέλλομεν in order that all may share in the union for which Christ prayed; and to the Gospel he adds this Epistle καὶ ταῦτα γράφομεν , that all may realize the joy resulting from this union - that our joy may be fulfilled.

In this introduction we find the following expressions which are characteristic of St. John, serving to show the common authorship of the Gospel and Epistle, and in some cases of the Revelation also: ὁ Λόγος ἡ ζωή φανερόω μαρτυρέω ζωὴ αἰώνιος η΅ν πρός ἡ χαρὰ η΅ι πεπληρωμένη . It is among the many excellences of the Revised Version that characteristic expressions are marked by a uniform translation; whereas in the Authorized Version they are obscured by capriciously varying the translation: e.g. μαρτυρέω is rendered in four different ways - "bear witness," "bear record," "give record," "testify" (cf. page 10). 1 John 1:4

4. these things—and none other, namely, this whole Epistle. write we unto you—Some oldest manuscripts omit "unto you," and emphasize "we." Thus the antithesis is between "we" (apostles and eye-witnesses) and "your." We write thus that your joy may be full. Other oldest manuscripts and versions read "OUR joy," namely, that our joy may be filled full by bringing you also into fellowship with the Father and Son. (Compare Joh 4:36, end; Php 2:2, "Fulfil ye my joy," Php 2:16; 4:1; 2Jo 8). It is possible that "your" may be a correction of transcribers to make this verse harmonize with Joh 15:11; 16:24; however, as John often repeats favorite phrases, he may do so here, so "your" may be from himself. So 2Jo 12, "your" in oldest manuscripts. The authority of manuscripts and versions on both sides here is almost evenly balanced. Christ Himself is the source, object, and center of His people's joy (compare 1Jo 1:3, end); it is in fellowship with Him that we have joy, the fruit of faith.

And these things write we unto you - These things respecting him who was manifested in the flesh, and respecting the results which flow from that. That your joy may be full - This is almost the same language which the Saviour used when addressing his disciples as he was about to leave them, John 15:11; and there can be little doubt that John had that declaration in remembrance when he uttered this remark. See the notes at that passage. The sense here is, that full and clear views of the Lord Jesus, and the fellowship with him and with each other, which would follow from that, would be a source of happiness. Their joy would be complete if they had that; for their real happiness was to be found in their Saviour. The best editions of the Greek Testament now read "your joy," instead of the common reading "our joy."